The young man bobbed his head. “Yes, sir. I know, but I needed to tell you this personally. I didn’t think you wanted to see it on the news. The votes are in. They faxed over the count to the office, and I wanted to make sure you’re the first to see.”
Phoenix accepted the plain white envelope and slowly snapped it open, feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety. He wanted to know, but he wasn’t ready to know. “Are you sure nobody else at the office had a peek first?”
“Positive. I took it off the machine personally, and as soon as I saw the header, I put it away.”
Taking a deep breath, he unfolded the paper and steeled himself for the results, but he didn’t look. He thanked his secretary and sent him on his way, and he took the paper into the dining room to show his friends and family.
“Looks like we’ll know sooner than we thought. I’ve got the results, you guys. Ready to find out?”
Cee-Cee rose and ambled over to him, putting a hand to his back. “Are you ready?” she asked, smiling.
He was as ready as he’d ever be and confident that he already knew the results. Phoenix flipped open the paper and peered at the numbers. Ashley joined him and Cee-Cee. They all looked down at the paper together.
Phoenix swallowed and folded the paper shut. Lucy’s expectant smile froze and wavered. Paolo glanced at her. Cee-Cee looked at Ashley. “Let’s sit down,” Ashley murmured. Phoenix moved on leaden feet and dropped into his chair.
“Well…” he muttered.
“Hey, it’s okay,” Cee-Cee whispered. “You gave it your best shot.”
Phoenix nodded blankly. He thought about how differently things might have gone if he had never had to do that damn interview, and if people had never found out about his relationship with Ashley and Cee-Cee. There was no bitterness attached to the thought, however. Had he not done the interview, would the three of them be here today?
Everything had changed with the single admission that he was in love with them.
“Who won, Phoenix?” Lucy asked.
Ce-Cee answered, “Leslie Zanders. By just a few votes.”
“The newcomer,” said Phoenix. I admit, she kept me on my toes this election. She presented a solid plan for taking over leadership, and with her experience and track record, I think she really can do it. She’s probably exactly what this place needs.”
Phoenix had dedicated his life to this town, and as he had told Five Parker, his townspeople weren’t small-minded, but he hadn’t gotten enough votes to continue leading them. For the first time, he had to consider an alternative route moving forward. He had been so sure that he would be able to keep doing what he was doing.
Lucy complained, “You’re so noble, but what this town needed was to reelect you. My consolation is, this will give you the time you need to focus on the people who are important to you. I’m sorry you didn’t win, Phoenix, but I’m so, so proud of you.”
“Well,” he said again, taking a deep breath. “That’s that. The phone’s about to be ringing off the hook.”
“Let me call Uncle Bryan and have the reporters forwarded to him. He’ll give them your official statement.”
Phoenix nodded as Cee-Cee stepped out to make the arrangements. He searched himself to identify the emotion he was feeling. Disappointment, surely. He had wanted to win the election. Yet he wasn’t as down and depressed as he thought he would be. He felt oddly buoyed by the presence of the people he loved. The doorbell rang again and Paolo slipped away to answer it.
When he heard Sally’s voice out in the hallway, Phoenix perked up. He turned in his chair as Sally and Tonya entered the dining room. “I hope we’re not too late,” said Tonya.
“Not at all! Where’s my favorite girl?” Sally ran to him and hugged him, giggling. He kissed the butterfly shaped birthmark on her forehead and Ashley leaned forward with a playful grin.
“Are you sure she’s related to you, Phoenix? She’s way too pretty to be your kin.”
Sally grinned. Cee-Cee called out from the foyer. “Hey, Phoenix? Looks like my parents and Brett and Josey just pulled up. I’ll let them in.”
The house bustled with activity as Lucy called them to order and got ready to have the caterers serve dinner. Phoenix felt the momentary dreary mood wash away as excited chatter and laughter took its place. Sally regaled him with what she’d been doing at school. Lucy came to sit next to the two of them to join the conversation.
Phoenix locked eyes with Ashley, and his lover touched his hand in solidarity. They would get through this together. It wasn’t the end of the world, just time to put to rest a dream that had taken a lot out of them. He smiled in response.
Winny and Marty entered the dining room, and Phoenix introduced them to his mother and Paolo. Winny held up a cake dish. “I know this isn’t a potluck, but I baked this delicious apple cream cake.” She kissed Phoenix’s cheek and Marty shook his hand.
“Sit, sit,” Phoenix urged. “I’ll take the cake into the kitchen for you.”
Ashley and Cee-Cee slipped away to meet him there. Ashley pulled Phoenix into a hug and kissed him sweetly. He didn’t want to move out of his embrace. Phoenix drew his tongue along the outline of Ashley’s lips with a quiet sigh. “You okay?” Cee-cee asked. She pushed the hair out of his face and looked at him.
“I am. I’m just not sure what to do next.” Phoenix lifted his wide shoulders and let them drop with a sigh. He was feeling great, though. Sally had won his mother’s heart instantly. He had his lovers, and his family accepted them. He had a home with Cee-Cee and Ashley. Career plans were the least of his worries now. In a sense, the loss had taken a weight off of his shoulders.
Ashley tilted his head to the side, thinking. “Well, what about that motivational speaking gig for Before Your Last Resort? It seems like a good fit for you. At least until you decide how to move forward. I mean, you could always go the boring route and just open up a law office.”
Phoenix chuckled at the way he downgraded being a lawyer. “I don’t know. I don’t want to be that busy for a while. Maybe I will check with Five Parker about that job. In the meantime…you two are stuck with me.”
“Give me a few more weeks, and I’ll be saying the same,” said Ashley. “This tour is going so smoothly. I’ve already started working on my next album over in L.A., too.”
“With my new app in the final stages, I’m pretty mobile. You know, our jobs keep us pretty busy, but I like the fact we get to have a little flexibility in our schedules.”
“And one central location for us all to come back to. I can’t believe we live together….Do you guys think this is really going to work? Long term, I mean,” Ashley murmured uncertainly. “This is nothing like what I imagined for myself. I think we’ve all modified our dreams a little to get to this place.”
Cee-Cee replied, “Who are you telling? Thing is, it’s far better than anything I ever imagined for myself. I used to worry that I’d never share the kind of love my parents had, but here I am. And here you two are. I have more than I hoped for, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.” They hadn’t won the election. They had won much more than that— a mutual love and trust and a relationship that defied the odds. It was bliss.
Ashley touched his shoulder. “Are you ready to go back out there and just be Phoenix Briton, rather than the mayor of this town?”
“Just Phoenix Briton,” he chuckled ruefully.
“My Phoenix,” Cee-Cee corrected.
“Ours.” Ashley briefly kissed his lips. “I fell in love with that guy. I’m sure him being mayor had nothing to do with it.”
Phoenix sighed and squared his shoulders. “Alright…let’s go do this. Together.”
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